20 Infiltration
by Denise Felt
Summary: Commander Straker finds that the aliens are closer than anyone thought.


**Infiltration**

**A UFO Story**

written by Denise Felt

Copyright 2007

Dedicated to my father, who recently relocated to New Malora.

**ACT I**

"You will be missed."

Andrew Straker's thin mouth quirked slightly at one corner. "Thank you, son. You can always visit, you know."

Straker leaned back in his study chair. "I know. But the travel plans are a little trickier."

"I suppose so. You don't object to my going?"

"No. With Sandy gone, I'm sure your house must seem very empty."

Mr. Straker cradled his coffee cup in wrinkled hands. "It does. I always felt that Kathy was nearby when Sandy was there. They were inseparable, you know. Now for the first time, I truly feel alone there."

"Cedric and Lotsen have assured me of your welcome. I've been told that all New Malora is awaiting your coming."

Andrew's mouth quirked again. "In a way, it will seem almost like going home."

He put down his empty cup and rose to leave. "It is good to see you back on your feet. Try to stay that way for awhile."

"I'll try."

His hand was on the doorknob when his son said quietly from his chair, "I saw Mom."

Andrew turned and looked closely at him. John had mentioned something of this to him, but he hadn't thought his reticent son would bring it up. And he hadn't known how to ask. "Did you?"

Straker sighed. "I think I did. It feels like a dream to me, but Sheila thinks that it actually happened. She said I died three times while they were operating on me. And I remember my heartbeat slowing, then stopping. Everything became very quiet."

His father came back toward the desk. "Did you go to heaven?"

"I'm not sure. It seemed as though it might be a way station of some sort. Perhaps the Pearly Gates, although I didn't see any gates. Mom spoke of a meadow that was like the one back home, but she told me I couldn't go there yet. There wasn't a meadow where I was. Just light."

Andrew tried to imagine what his son had seen. Then he asked, "How was she?"

The commander smiled for the first time. "She looked wonderful. More beautiful than I remembered."

Andrew's jaw worked for a moment. "Did she mention me?"

"No," his son answered. "But from the things she did say, I think that she must keep a pretty close watch over us."

Mr. Straker nodded. "I believe that. I still feel her presence occasionally. I thought at first that it was connected with the house, and I needed to stay there to be with her. But I have felt her presence even here in England."

He was silent a moment, then said, "Did you like heaven?"

"Very much. But she wouldn't let me stay." Straker frowned as he tried to recall the details of his experience. "She said something to me about Sheila. That I needed to return, because she would need me soon."

Andrew glanced at the painting of Sheila that hung over the mantle and asked, "Is Sheila in some danger?"

Straker grimaced. "Sheila is always in danger, and has been her entire life. I don't know what Mom was referring to, except that I needed to be here for her. And I don't know how soon_ soon_ is. Time seems to move differently there. It could be next week or ten years down the road."

He looked at his father. "Needless to say, I'm keeping a close eye on my wife."

"Good. Keep me apprised, and if there's anything I can do . . ."

"Thank you, Dad."

As Andrew turned once more to leave, his son said quietly, "I also saw my mother."

Andrew looked at him in shock. "Lenore? You saw Lenore?"

"I believe so."

His father sat down suddenly. "What . . . ? How was . . . ? Did she . . . ?"

Straker said, "She was very beautiful, and she seemed happy to see me. But she too told me I couldn't stay."

Andrew drew a shaking hand through his hair. "I miss her every day."

"She sang me a lullaby."

His father smiled. "Did she? She was always singing around our home. Especially when she had one of you boys in her arms."

Then he frowned. "You were pretty young when we came here. I wasn't sure you would remember her."

"I didn't," Straker answered. "But I still knew her. She called me Edrian."

It wasn't a question, but Andrew answered anyway. "That was your name. Kathy helped us pick out Earth names, so that we could fit in."

He asked his son, "Was she with Kathy?"

The commander shook his head. "No. It was a place full of rainbows. Very different from where I'd been before when I saw Mom."

"Another heaven?" Andrew asked with a raised brow.

Straker shrugged. "I'm not sure. It's possible. Or just another part of the same heaven. It all seemed very vast and open. Maybe it was just a Maloran way station."

"Because of the rainbows?"

"Yes."

His father sighed. "Did you ever wonder why Malorans use rainbows throughout their architecture?"

"Often."

"It's because they believe that when light is fractured, it reveals itself in its truest form. I've noticed that your wife decorated the nursery with rainbows. Was that for you?"

"No. My wife has always been attracted to rainbows. One of the things that I remember well from my experience is that I kept thinking, while I was with my mother, that Sheila would love that place. Perhaps we'll go there together someday when we're in heaven and visit my mother."

His father's mouth quirked. "And perhaps you'll see me there."

"Maybe she'll have your eyes."

Sheila smiled as she stroked his hair. "Sometimes you're so predictable."

Ed grinned at her, then returned his attention to her belly, which had begun to poke out. He found it — as always — endlessly fascinating. He felt a tiny hiccup under his hand and recognized it for what it was: a baby's kick. His grin widened.

"She says she wants your eyes, too."

She gave the laugh that he loved to hear. "Oh, Ed! I can't think why. Your eyes are much prettier."

"But yours have the sweeter expression," he murmured.

She wondered if he was ever at a loss for a comeback. "Maybe she'll defy us both and have hazel eyes."

He gave her a mock frown. "If she does, I'll know where to look for blame. I know Sarek loves your band, Sheila, but enough is enough."

She laughed, but shook her head at him. "You goose! Gay would have my head. And rightfully so."

"What shall we name her?" he asked after a while.

She hesitated a moment, then said, "I like Jolena."

He gave her a stern look. "Try again."

She hid her smile with an effort and said, "Not as a first name. But I think it would be great for a middle name."

"Hmmm." Not if he had anything to do with it. "Why not start with a first name?"

"If we must," she conceded. "I thought maybe Lilith."

He thought about it. "Those would be tall shoes to fill."

"True. But so was naming our son Andrew. He was a savior for his world, too. It wasn't his fault that they refused to be saved."

"I suppose. And Lilith looked like you, so that should up her chances, don't you think?"

She grinned. "If you say so."

"Thanks, Uncle Ed! I'll take good care of it, I promise. Can I go sail it in the lake?"

"Yes, but not alone."

Ned thought for a moment. "Can I see if Kathy wants to go with me?"

"Of course."

Ned Freeman ran from the study, shouting, "Kathy! Andy! Come see my new boat!"

As he tramped up the main stairs, his father came into the study and lifted a brow at his friend. "Ed, what are you doing now? You're going to spoil him."

Straker handed him a drink and took an armchair near the window. "Nonsense. That's your job, Alec."

The colonel grunted and took a seat. "And I suppose you have something for C.C. too."

Straker hid a smile. "Actually, Sheila got her a doll."

Alec shook his head. "You two."

He drank some of his bourbon, then asked, "Are you ready to go back to work on Monday?"

Straker relaxed in his chair. "Oh, yes."

Alec looked at him closely. "Had any second thoughts about coming back?"

The commander lifted a brow. "What do you mean?"

His friend shrugged. "You nearly died, Ed. It might make you think twice about your line of work."

"I suppose I've had some thoughts like that," Straker agreed. "But this is the work I'm best suited for, Alec. I'm not willing to abandon it simply because it's hard at times."

"I guess not," Freeman said. "How does Sheila feel about you coming back?"

"Technically, I haven't really been gone that long, since I've been handling reports and other paperwork from home for over a month."

"Still . . . ," Alec insisted. "Is she worried?"

"I don't think so. She has seemed pleased with my recovery after the surgery. She's never had a problem with my work, Alec. I think if she was concerned about me returning to active duty, she would tell me. She knows my work is my life."

The colonel grunted. "See you take better care of that life from now on, okay?"

"I'll try," Straker said meekly.

"Does Sheila know _how _you almost lost your life?"

The commander shook his head. "Why would I tell her something like that? She hardly needs to know that it was fear for her that made me careless. It would only hurt her."

Alec sighed. "She's quite an Achilles heel, Ed."

"I am aware. I've come to realize — to my shame — that she survived that encounter much better than I did. It's hard to trust when I know the danger she faces every day, but I'm learning to believe her a little more when she says that she can take care of herself."

Freeman said, "Is it her you don't trust, Ed? Or fate?"

Straker looked up in surprise. "I don't know. Fate, I suppose. I've lived without her a lot longer than I've lived with her, after all."

"Well, I say you deserve some good karma."

"Really? Can I have that in writing?"

Alec grinned. "You'll just have to take my word for it."

"Thanks."

"Say, Ed. I noticed you still have that stain in the study doorway. I figured you would have gotten rid of that first thing."

"Yes. I had the carpenter here a month ago to see if he could match the original wood of the hallway."

"And can he?"

Straker shrugged. "I didn't get the chance to ask him. Sheila shooed him out the door before he'd finished taking measurements."

"Why would she do that? Surely she can't want that grisly reminder on your floor."

"She says it makes a statement."

"A statement?" Alec was astonished.

Straker crossed his legs calmly. "Yes. She says that it tells everyone who sees it that the master of this house is willing to lay down his life in defense of his family."

There was silence in the room for a long moment.

Then Alec looked at the painting of Sheila and said, "You know, Ed. Sometimes your wife . . . is very odd."

Straker grinned.

Tam drove home from Keith and Morita's house, wishing he hadn't allowed Tobiah to talk him into that second racquetball match. His shoulder ached where he'd wrenched it trying to return a tough ball on the fly. He was pretty sure that Keith had been teaching Tobiah his own tricks, now that Morita had put up a court for them near the house. Well, Tam would just have to practice up on a few tricks of his own, if he hoped to stay ahead of them on the court.

He was thinking of a particularly difficult move he might try next time, when his headlights picked up a large hole in the road ahead. He slowed, wondering what could have caused it, when he saw a car crumpled head first into a tree off to the right. He swerved to avoid the hole and pulled off the road to check it out.

He wanted to examine that hole. From here, it looked like it had been created by a laser blast. But he was concerned that someone might be injured in the car. So instead he loped over to the car and pulled open the driver's side door.

There was no one inside, but there was blood on the seat and a small handbag in the passenger seat. A woman, then. Either alone or with a companion. He tried to see into the grove of trees, but could make out very little in the weak moonlight. He ran back to his car and got his flashlight. And his gun. The night was too quiet around him, and it was making him nervous. Better to be safe than sorry.

The trees didn't really have a path between them, and the going was rough. Especially since he could only see what was visible in the circle of his flashlight. After he tripped over the third exposed tree root, he wondered if he should go on home and call it in to the base. There were more woods here than he could possibly cover alone.

But just as he turned to go back, his flashlight caught something that wasn't a tree. A figure was weaving through the trees drunkenly. He shone the light directly onto it and saw that it was a young woman. Her face was covered in blood, but he could see her eyes. They blinked at his light, but there was no comprehension in them. Shock, he thought.

When he reached her, he took her arm and steered her through the trees back the way he'd come. She didn't resist, but wasn't any help either as they stumbled their way out of the woods. She was swaying badly by the time they reached his car, and he got her into the passenger seat quickly before she fell. He yanked his medical kit out from under the seat and dabbed most of the blood from her face. It seemed to be coming from a cut on her forehead, one where the blood was already beginning to flow more sluggishly. A large lump under the cut was showing signs of bruising, and as he cleaned it, he was glad that she had swooned. If she'd been awake, it would have hurt her a lot to have it touched.

Indeed, she protested feebly as he bandaged it, and he found himself looking into dark, confused eyes.

"Who . . . ?" she murmured.

"My name is Tam Jensen," he explained quietly. "I'm a medic."

"What . . . ?"

"You've been injured. Your car ran off the road," he said, unwilling at present to try to reconstruct more than the bare facts.

She searched his eyes for a moment, then said, "My car?"

Tam grimaced. "I'm afraid it'll need a tow. But you shouldn't worry about that now. I need to get you to a hospital where they can look at your head."

Unexpectedly, she said, "No! No hospital. I live just a little further along this road. I just want to go home."

"I don't think you understand. You've got a nasty bump and probably a concussion. You need to be monitored for awhile, just in case there are complications."

"No." She looked earnestly at him. "Tam, is it? Please. I'll be okay. I just need to go home."

He sighed. She was still very pale, but her mouth was set quite firmly. "How far is it from here?"

Every mile of the trip to Shrewton seemed like ten to Tam. She seemed to be going in and out of a swoon for most of the drive, but as they approached the village, she directed him clearly enough to a cottage just off the main road.

As he pulled into the drive, he frowned at the house. All the windows were dark. He had assumed that she had family here, but now he wasn't so sure. "Do you live alone?" he asked.

"No," she said. "My uncle will be home soon."

He helped her into the cottage, but that task seemed more than she could handle. She swooned just over the threshold, and Tam lowered her to a couch in the main room. He was concerned that she was having trouble staying conscious, and he wished that she would let him take her to a hospital.

As he pulled an afghan off a nearby chair and covered her with it, he noticed a dark spot at the waist of her sweater on her right side. He gently lifted the sweater from the spot and saw blood. He reached for his kit and went to work cleaning the area, glad that she was unconscious once more. But for different reasons. She was all alone in this house with him, and he didn't want her to think he was someone who would take liberties.

Then he got a good look at the wound, and it drove all thoughts of her modesty from his mind. It was shallow, but ugly, with the flesh torn along her side. A bullet wound.

When he looked up at her, he found her gazing back at him. "What is it?" she asked softly, no doubt noticing his grim expression.

Tam said, "You've been shot. It looks like the bullet only grazed your side and did not remain in your flesh. But it's an ugly wound and needs a stronger disinfectant than I have in my kit. Please let me take you to a hospital."

"No," she said firmly. "I'll be all right. A good night's sleep is all I need. Really. I appreciate your help, but I'll be fine."

He frowned at her. She couldn't possibly believe that she would be all right without medical attention. Maybe her uncle could be reasoned with. "When does your uncle get home?"

She looked away from him. "I don't know."

Tam checked his watch. 12:37. His flat was only a few miles from here, and he wanted to be there now, rubbing ointment on his sore shoulder and crawling into bed. But he couldn't leave her alone.

"Fine," he said as he sat in the chair near the couch. "I'll stay until he gets here."

She was startled and said, "Oh! No, really. I'm just going to lay here. You've done so much already. I'm sure your family is waiting for you at home."

He leaned back in the chair and crossed his legs. "I live alone," was all he said.

She frowned at him, obviously trying to find something to say that would get him to leave. So he said, "I either stay until your uncle arrives or bundle you off to the hospital. Which is it?"

She plucked at the afghan that covered her. "I . . . it's just that . . ."

"One or the other," he said firmly.

She said suddenly, "I don't know you."

"I told you my name," he answered wearily. "Look, I don't mean you any harm, but I can't let you stay here all by yourself in your condition. You need to be monitored, at the very least. Go ahead and rest. I'll just keep an eye on you until your uncle is here to do it. Okay?"

She flushed suddenly and said in a small voice, "But that's just it. He's out of town."

"Your uncle?"

"Yes. He travels a lot."

Tam sighed. "And you didn't want to tell a stranger that you would be here all alone."

She wouldn't look at him. "Yes."

"Okay," he said. "My name is Tam Jensen, and I'm from the United States." Close enough, he thought. "I work as a medical assistant. I like racquetball and crossword puzzles and bandaging up strays that I find injured by the roadside. What about you?"

She met his smile and began to relax for the first time. "My name is Mia. Mia Morris. I'm a secretary for an accounting firm in London."

"Hello, Mia," he said, his smile lighting his eyes.

She stared into those blue-grey eyes, fascinated by them. Then she realized that she was staring and blushed scarlet. "Hello, Tam."

"Strangers still?" he asked quietly.

"No."

"Good," he said, leaning back and closing his eyes. "Go to sleep."

**ACT II**

When Mia opened her eyes, it was morning. The first thing she saw was Tam, sitting in her uncle's armchair near the couch. He looked far too alert for someone who'd been up all night caring for her. Perhaps he was used to that in his work as a medic.

"Good morning."

She realized suddenly that she'd been staring at him again, and she flushed. "Good morning."

"Feeling better?"

She met his eyes for a moment, then dropped her own. What was she supposed to say? "Yes, thank you."

He gently lifted her face with a hand on her chin until she was forced to meet those intent blue-grey eyes.

"I checked your bandage a little bit ago. You certainly look better."

He said no more, as if waiting for her to comment. But she remained silent.

Tam sat back with a sigh and decided that he would have to try a different approach. "You heal very quickly, don't you, Mia?"

She searched his eyes, wondering how much she could safely tell him. And how much he'd believe. "Yes."

"One might almost say _amazingly_ fast."

Mia swallowed the lump in her throat. "One might say that."

"In fact," he persisted, as if needing to clarify his point. "One might almost assume this morning that you had never been injured at all."

"One might," she said, then lifted her chin. "But you know I was."

"Yes."

She waited for him to elaborate on that, and when he didn't, she realized that he was waiting for _her_ to explain. And how could she do that? It wasn't really that she didn't trust him. How could she not trust him after he rescued her and took care of her all night? But her secret wasn't hers alone to share, and she couldn't put the others in danger.

Besides, he'd never believe her. Aliens from another planet, genetic tampering, pocket dimensions. It sounded like a science fiction novel, even to her.

Tam watched the emotions swirl in her dark eyes. He realized that she didn't yet trust him enough to talk to him. And while that hurt his heart, he thought that perhaps he knew a way to help her open up to him. He had to show that he trusted her first. Theoretically, telling her anything might put SHADO in danger, but he reminded himself that she had been injured last night in what seemed to be a possible Thoelian attack. _The enemy of my enemy is my friend_, he muttered under his breath.

He finally said, "I have a friend who heals like you do."

Mia was surprised. "You do?" She had been afraid he might see her as a freak. But for him to know someone like her meant . . . Perhaps, he had met her uncle on one of his travels. "What was his name?"

"_Her_ name is Sheila."

Mia shook her head. "Then it is doubtful that she heals as I do. I know those who are like me, and there is no one named Sheila among them."

"I'm a doctor, Mia. I know what I'm talking about. I've treated her before. She heals as quickly as you do."

Mia leaned toward him, almost holding her breath. "What's her family name?"

"Family name?" Tam asked, a bit bewildered. "You mean, last name? It's Straker."

"Oh." She sat back, disappointed. It might have meant so much. "I know of no Strakers among my people."

Tam suddenly caught on to what she'd been asking. "_Family_ name! Of course. Straker is her married name. Her family name — as you call it — was Austin."

"Austin!" Mia clasped her hands tightly together. "How old is she? Is her father's name Garret?"

"I don't know. Do you know a Garret Austin?"

She shook her head. "No. But my father knows him. He left our settlement many years ago and never returned. We have been worried about him. Is he well?"

"If he's Sheila's dad, he's dead," Tam said. "Both of Sheila's parents died when she was very young."

"I see." She thought a moment, then asked, "How young?"

"What do you mean? Oh, her age. I think she was two or three when they died. I know she was just a toddler. Why do you ask about that?"

Mia explained. "Then perhaps she was too young to have been told her heritage."

"She doesn't know it," Tam said. "She has only learned about her mother's people as an adult, but I know that she knows nothing about her father's people. If he's her dad, maybe you could tell her."

She nodded. "I would be pleased to tell her all I know. And I know that Garret's family would wish to meet his daughter."

"This is great!" Tam got up from the chair and extended a hand to help Mia up from the couch. "I'll take you to meet her. Sheila could be this Garret's daughter. Won't she be thrilled?"

As Tam opened the glass doors of the main studio building for her, Mia smiled at him. "I know this studio," she said. "They make wonderful movies. I saw _Brigadoon_ just last week. It was marvelous! Does your friend work here?"

He shrugged. "Well . . . in a way. Her husband owns it."

"Oh, yes. You said that her married name was Straker. He's very famous, isn't he?"

He grinned. "Yes. Actually, he is."

"You sound surprised."

He shook his head, unable to explain that he didn't often think of his boss as anything other than the head of SHADO. "Do you want to meet him?"

"Oh!" She was flustered and didn't know how to respond. "I don't know. He's probably very busy. Do you think I could?"

"Maybe," he said, leading her past the main desk. "We'll see if we can find him later."

He saw Emily in the hallway that led to the staff offices and slowed when he realized that she was staring at them in shock.

"Tam!"

"Hi, Emily. Is Sheila in her office?"

"What?" Emily was staring at Mia and merely said, "Tam, who_ is _she?"

Obviously, she hadn't heard his question. "This is Mia. She wants to meet Sheila. Is she here?"

"Sheila?" Emily looked at him in concern. "But, Tam! You can't . . . !"

"Emily," he said insistently. "Is Sheila in her office?"

She searched his eyes for a long moment. Then she said, "No. She doesn't come in until this afternoon."

"Oh." He turned to Mia. "Well, I can give you a quick tour, if you want, until she comes in. And we can see if we run into Straker. What do you think?"

"All right."

Emily said, "If you're looking for Ed, he's in his office. He got a conference call just as I was leaving."

Tam frowned in thought. "How long ago was that?"

"A few minutes ago."

"Okay. Well, we'll check out the gift shop first then and get to Straker in a little while. Thanks, Emily."

"Sure," she said and watched as he led the dark-eyed girl away. Then she slipped silently into the other hall. The one that led to Straker's office.

"Back so soon?" Grace asked her as she entered the outer office.

Emily didn't return her smile, but asked, "Is he still on that call?"

"I think so." Grace looked at her phone and saw the light flash off. "He's just done. Did you need to see him?"

"Yes."

Just then, the inner door slid open and Straker came out. "Emily!" he said with a wry smile. "Did I forget to sign one of those memorandums?"

She shook her head. "No, sir. Can I speak with you for a moment?"

She sounded worried, so he said, "Of course. Grace, tell Walker I'll be a little late for our meeting. Come on in, Emily."

"Now. What's troubling you?" he asked as he returned to his desk.

She didn't know where to begin. "Sir, Tam's got . . . Tam's brought a girl with him to the studio."

He lifted a brow. "Is it that new designer he's been trying to get me to hire?"

"No, sir. I don't think so." Emily stopped wringing her hands and sat down, taking a calming breath. "She's . . . At least, I think she is, but I'm not completely sure."

"Emily."

She looked up and met his eyes, realizing that she wasn't making any sense. "Yes?"

"Just tell me," he said quietly.

She drew a breath. "Okay. She's Thoelian."

The room was silent for a long moment. Then he said, "Are you sure of this?"

She shook her head. "No. Not completely. Something about her is different in a way that I don't understand. But I've seen a Thoelian, and I would recognize one anywhere. And if she isn't, then she's a close cousin."

He leaned slowly back in his chair. "We've never met a female Thoelian. Could that be the difference you're detecting?"

"I don't think so. Gender has never made a difference before in recognizing races."

"Yes, but it's doubtful that Tam would bring her openly to the studio if she was a security risk, Emily."

"I know. I checked his eyes to see if he'd been altered, but I couldn't detect anything."

Straker frowned. "After the incident with Jenkins three months ago, I don't think we can assume that we can tell just by looking anymore."

"She wants to meet Sheila."

"What? Why? Did she say?"

"No," she answered, as worried as he was. "Sir, Tam doesn't seem to think there's any problem with her being here. He doesn't seem worried at all. Maybe I'm panicking you needlessly, and there's a reasonable explanation for all this. But I had to warn you."

"It's all right, Emily," he assured her. "I appreciate your warning."

Then he asked, "Where are they now?"

"In the gift shop."

"All right. Thank you, Emily. You did the right thing. I'll take it from here."

After she left, he picked up his phone. "Grace, get Walker to reschedule our meeting, please. And get me Baker."

In the outer office, Grace Waterman raised a brow at the mention of the Head of Security's name. But she asked no questions. "Yes, sir."

Tam saw Straker as the commander was crossing the lobby. He hurried out of the gift shop to intercept him. "Sir!" he said. "Do you have a minute?"

"What is it, Tam?" Straker asked calmly.

"I have a friend I'd like you to meet. I think you'll find her very interesting."

"Indeed. Is this that designer friend of yours?"

"Elise? No. But she's willing to come in for an interview anytime."

"We'll see," Straker said vaguely. "And what does _this _friend do? Write scripts?"

"No, sir." Tam edged closer and asked under his breath, "Was there an incident last night?"

"Yes," the commander answered just as softly. "Out near Amesbury."

Tam nodded. "I was there."

Straker looked closely at him, but could detect nothing different about him. "Were you hurt? We found a car. We're checking the registration now."

"Don't bother," Tam said. "The driver is with me now."

"What? _That's_ your friend?"

"Yes." Tam shifted a bit under that incredulous stare. "Sir, I think they were attacking her. Specifically. I'd really appreciate it if you'd talk to her."

Straker thought quickly. It was possible that this woman was a defector. She had to be treated carefully. But he had no intention of taking a Thoelian to his office. "Very well. Let's go into one of the lounges. We can be private there."

"Thank you, sir. I know that this isn't standard procedure, but last night I wasn't sure what was going on, and today . . . Well, today it's all a little overwhelming."

"You did right to bring her to me," Straker told him. And hoped like hell that he wasn't walking into a trap.

**ACT III**

Straker was reassured somewhat by the fact that the girl was obviously starstruck. She sat on one of the lounge's couches next to Tam and didn't seem capable of uttering a word.

It seemed strange to be dealing with a possible alien threat in the middle of the studio. The juxtaposition of his two worlds colliding in this manner was very disorienting. But at least he knew how to deal with starstruck fans.

"Tam tells me that your car ran off the road last night," he said gently. "Were you hurt?"

Mia nodded. "Yes. It did. I was hurt." Here she looked at Tam for a moment. "But I'm okay now."

"Actually, sir," Tam explained. "She was badly injured. But she wouldn't let me take her to the hospital."

Straker looked at Mia for a moment. "She looks fine now, Tam."

"Yes. That's just it, sir. Mia heals like Sheila does. She doesn't even have a bruise left to show where she'd been hurt."

Straker's eyes widened in shock. "What?"

"Tell him, Mia," Tam coaxed, taking her hand and holding it for support. "Tell him what you told me."

Mia swallowed. "It's true, Mr. Straker. I heal very quickly. And when Tam told me about Sheila, I realized that she might be the daughter of a man from our settlement. His name was Garret Austin, and we lost contact with him years ago."

The commander stared at her for a moment, his face carefully bland. Then he said, "Garret was her father's name."

She said, "That's wonderful! Tam brought me today to meet her. I have so much to tell her about her family."

His jaw tightened for a moment, then he said, "Mia, you mentioned a settlement. Have your people been on this planet long?"

She was stunned. "You . . . You know that we are not from Earth?"

"Yes."

"How?" she asked, suddenly suspicious.

He spread his hands. "My wife was born on Earth, but I know that her parents were from other races. We knew nothing about her father, but her mother's people are from Rigel. Do you know of Rigel, Mia?"

She shook her head. "No. I'm terrible at astronomy. I was born on Earth, too, as Sheila was. But my ancestors came here over a century ago."

"A century?" The commander's heart lightened slightly at this news. "I see. Where is your settlement?"

"Why do you wish to know?" she asked, suspicious again.

"Because my wife and I have never met anyone before who heals like she does. Your settlement must be very small."

She relaxed. "Yes, we are. We are located on the Salisbury Plain."

"Which village?"

"Traya."

He thought for a moment. "I know of no such village. What village is it close to?"

"There is Shrewton and Wilsford," she said. "Oh, and Amesbury. They're the closest, I think."

"There are no villages between those in that area. There's nothing else at all except . . ." He leaned closer. "A pocket dimension?"

Mia jumped. "You've_ heard _of those?"

"Yes," he replied calmly. "We've run into them before. Is that where your people live, Mia? In a pocket dimension?"

"Yes."

"In Stonehenge?"

"Yes."

"What's Stonehenge?" asked Tam.

Straker shook his head at him before turning back to Mia. "Stonehenge is an ancient structure. Certainly more than a century old. Did your people create the enclave when they came here, or was it already there?"

"It was already there," she said. "We never knew why it had been abandoned. It is a beautiful place."

"Mia, why did your people come to Earth?"

She folded her arms in a defensive gesture that reminded him painfully of Sheila. "We were fleeing those who wished to use us as subjects for their genetic tests."

He suddenly noticed the bracelet on her wrist. It was a dull copper one with no markings. Nothing unusual about it at all. Except that Sheila used to wear a bracelet just like it years ago.

He started to ask about it, then caught her words. "Genetics?"

_Of course_. He began finally to understand. "Is that how you became such quick healers? Were they changing your DNA?"

She nodded miserably. "But we did not at all wish it. Our own families betrayed us, imprisoned us, and turned us into freaks and outcasts. And now they seem to be hunting us even here where we fled for refuge."

"Are you saying . . . ?" Tam sputtered.

Straker interrupted. "Where are your people from, Mia?"

"It is a planet called Thoel, many lightyears from here."

Tam gasped, then turned to his commander. "Sir! I didn't know! I had no idea . . . !"

"I realize that, Tam," Straker said quietly.

Mia looked from Tam's anguished face to Straker's bland one. "I do not understand. You have heard of Thoel?"

"Yes."

She searched those hard blue eyes deeply. "But how is that possible? You are an actor and a film producer."

"That is true," he agreed. "I am also the head of an organisation that was built years ago to protect Earth from Thoelian invasion."

"They have attacked Earth people?" she asked in horror.

"Yes."

She was at a loss for words. Finally she looked up at him as a thought occurred to her. "Did you know of the attack last night?"

Straker sighed. "Only after it happened. We tracked their ship when they left the woods, and we were able to destroy it. I'm sorry that we did not detect it sooner."

"Mr. Straker," she said firmly. "I am Thoelian. Will you kill me, as well?"

"No, Mia!" Tam said, putting his arm around her. "Of course, we won't!"

But she kept her eyes on the commander.

"That depends," he said softly.

He continued smoothly, as if not hearing Tam's gasp. "Are you a threat to Earth?"

"No," she said. "My people only wish to live here in peace. We will not even leave the settlement, if that is your wish. But please do not kill us for crimes we would never commit. We wish no harm at all to Earth. I dread even knowing what horrific things they have done to your people. Our own stories are gruesome enough."

"Mia," he asked suddenly. "Where did you get that bracelet?"

She looked at him in surprise. "My bracelet? My parents gave it to me when I came of age. We all wear them. They remind us that we were once prisoners, but now we are free."

"I see." Straker sat back in the chair. "If you are not in league with those who wish Earth harm, then we would be pleased to welcome you to our planet, even if that welcome is one hundred years overdue. Would your leader be willing to meet with me and discuss making a treaty?"

"I don't know," she said. "Our Lord Mayor is Sheybal, son of Dorn. He might be willing to meet with you. I don't know about a treaty, though."

"I understand. Will you arrange for us to meet?"

"Yes. I could bring him here. And Mr. Straker. I think perhaps we may be able to help you protect Earth from them. We know their ways, you see."

"Thank you, Mia," he said.

After the commander left the lounge, Tam took Mia's hand again. "Mia, I'm so sorry that your people were so badly treated. And by their own race! It's a heinous thing."

"I have not had to endure any horrors myself," she told him. "But my grandparents tell terrible tales of what they suffered."

Tam shook his head. "I cannot imagine anyone turning on their own people like that." He lifted a hand to her face. "But I'm glad that your grandparents got away."

She found that staring into his eyes made her mind go blank. And she still had many questions. She looked away for a moment, then asked him, "Mr. Straker. He seemed a very cold man. Will he be fair to us?"

"Yes," Tam said with a sigh. "And he only seems cold to you because this has all been a great shock to him."

"A shock? In what way?"

"Well, he has been in charge of this organisation since it began years ago. And now he finds out that his wife is a member of the race he has been fighting all these years."

Mia gasped. "Of course! I didn't even realize! Will he be able to accept it, do you think?"

"I hope so," Tam said. "We will all have to."

"Will that be so hard?" she asked diffidently.

"Not for me," he assured her and touched her face again. "But for some . . . Yes, it may be hard." And he thought of Sheila.

Dr. Jackson looked up in surprise as Straker entered the Medical Centre. Straker rarely sought him out. "Good morning, Commander."

"Doctor." Straker went over to the desk and sat on a chair.

The doctor turned off his microscope and went behind his desk to sit down. "How may I help you?"

The commander ran a hand over his eyes. He said, "Tam will be bringing a girl into the Medical Centre in a short while. I want you to run every test possible on her. And I want the results immediately."

Jackson considered him a moment. Then he asked softly, "Are there any tests in particular that you wish me to concentrate on?"

Straker sighed. "You'll know which ones to focus on. It will be obvious to you fairly quickly."

He stood up. "I'll be back for those results."

"Very well."

As the commander reached the door, he turned back to give Jackson a cold look. "And, Doctor. She is doing this for us voluntarily. Be gentle with her."

Jackson's lips quirked as the commander left. _Well, well_, he thought. It seemed as though his morning had just become much more interesting.

"I heard there was an incident last night," Sheila said as she entered his HQ office.

Straker looked up in surprise. "You're early." And he had planned to head her off before she made it downstairs.

She sat in one of the chairs in front of his desk. "Well, Alex went down for his nap quicker than expected, so I thought I'd head on in."

When he didn't say anything, she tilted her head to the side and asked, "Problem?"

"No." He took a deep breath. "Not at all. Yes, we did have an incident. Out on the A303 out of Andover near Amesbury. We tracked a UFO as it lifted off from the woods there and destroyed it."

"Any survivors of the crash?"

"No. But when we checked the area, we found an abandoned car with blood on the seat. And a dead Thoelian in the woods. Oh, and a hole in the road you could sink a bus into."

"So it was a specific target?"

"Possibly. We're looking into that now."

"Need my help?"

He picked up his pen and began fiddling with it. "No. I think the crew out there can handle it. I was wondering if you have the upgrades ready for the systems for Moonbase 2?"

"My team has been working out the last glitches. I thought we had another month to finish debugging those."

He finally met her eyes. "It looks as though the port facilities on Moonbase 2 will be finished ahead of schedule. Col. Carlin has done wonders in getting that section ready for the start of operations. I'd like to have the computer systems ready to go up there as soon as he gives the go-ahead."

She smiled. "And you're getting antsy now that it's close. I understand. It will be a big day for SHADO. Starting up a spaceport is no light matter. I'll get my team on it right away. I think we'll be able to handle any timeframe he sets. Unless it's tomorrow."

He gave a small smile. "Then let's hope it isn't."

She grinned as she stood and saluted him saucily before heading out the door.

His smile faded as the door slid closed behind her. He hoped that would keep her busy enough that she'd miss the rumors that would soon be flying around the base. She was far too quick for her own good sometimes, and he needed the right time and place to tell her what he knew. _If_ what he knew was true.

He needed to see Jackson.

**ACT IV**

"_This_ is Stonehenge?"

Mia raised her brows at him. "Yes. What did you expect?"

"I'm not sure," he said. "Something not quite so . . . so . . ."

"So what, Tam?"

"So _barren._"

"Traya is not so," she told him. "We are a beautiful village with many lovely homes."

He looked at the ancient structure in front of them. Even in September, the wind was cold and moaned through the trilithons in a voice that was nearly human. "I'll take your word for it."

She nodded. "You must. I cannot bring you into the settlement without our Lord Mayor's approval. I am sorry."

"In that case," he said. "I hope you won't mind if I wait for you in the car?"

"No. I should not be very long, Tam. I know the Lord Mayor will speak with me. But I may not find him alone and may have to wait awhile until he is free."

"I'll wait," he said calmly.

She came closer suddenly and kissed him. Then she backed shyly away and said, "Thank you for waiting, Tam."

"Sure," he said in a daze, watching as she entered the circle between the trilithons and raised her arm high.

She spoke something that was carried away on the wind, her bracelet flashed with a red light, and she disappeared from sight.

"That's a hell of a thing," he murmured with a shudder and climbed into the car to wait.

"Well, Doctor?"

"Ah, Commander," said Jackson suavely. "I was expecting you. Here are your results."

He handed the commander the file, and Straker leafed through it standing up. It was as he had feared. The girl had spoken the truth.

When he handed the file back, he asked, "Your conclusions?"

"Well, it is obvious, isn't it?" the doctor said. "Mia Morris is Thoelian."

"She shows no signs of advanced aging of the tissues, recycled organs, or numerous surgeries."

"That is true. And her genetic structure is altered in such a way that it is not easy to identify her heritage. But her bloodline is pure and was finally traced to Thoelian as a very close match, even with the changes at the molecular level."

"And Sheila?"

The doctor sighed. "Sheila is not so easy. She has Rigelian characteristics in her DNA, as you know. Not being purebred, it has always been more difficult to be sure of her other heritage."

Something in his voice made Straker's eyes turn cold. "You knew?"

The doctor spread his hands in a Slavic gesture. "I could never be certain. There were some similarities, yes. Points of her DNA that matched closely with those of Thoelians we had studied. Those could not be denied. However, she never displayed the other signs that we knew of as Thoelian. And her rapid healing made it seem unlikely that she would turn out to be of that race."

"Why didn't you mention any of this to me?"

Unexpectedly, Dr. Jackson chuckled. "Commander, I am never desirous of inciting your wrath, and to discuss such a supposition with you when I had no proof would have been foolhardy in the extreme."

"Hmmm. Your recommendation?"

"Concerning Mia Morris?" the doctor said. "I have proven that her people were subjected to severe and painful genetic alteration, possibly against their will. Diplomacy is your field, Commander."

Straker's lips thinned. "Regarding Sheila."

"Ah!" Jackson folded his hands under his chin. "The colonel. Yes. I believe she should be sedated and brought to a secure facility, where she can gradually be introduced to the facts as we now know them and monitored for any . . . difficulties."

"Institutionalized," Straker said bitterly.

"You asked."

The commander nodded tersely once. "Yes. I did. Thank you, Doctor, for the quick results. I'll let you know if we need you further."

"Very well, Commander."

"You've had quite a day so far, haven't you, Commander?"

Straker's lips thinned. "You hardly need me to report to you, Shaw, with Jackson keeping you so perfectly up to date."

The general's brows rose at the commander's bitter sarcasm, but he merely said, "Won't you sit down?"

"This is momentous news for SHADO, Straker," he said as the commander sat.

"Is it?" Straker asked waspishly.

"Definitely. A Thoelian cell here on Earth for over a century. And perhaps willing to work with us against their own people."

"_Not _their own people!" Straker corrected fiercely. "They stopped being like them when they were betrayed, imprisoned, and altered against their will."

"I agree," the general said mildly. "But they still refer to themselves as Thoelian."

The commander's jaw worked. "It's just a name."

"Again, I agree." Shaw eyed Straker's grim countenance in silence for a moment. Then he said, "What are your plans concerning this cell?"

"I suppose you think I should destroy them."

General Shaw sighed. "Commander Straker. I had hoped that we had come to know each other better than that."

As the silence in the room lengthened, Straker finally met his eyes. The depth of understanding he saw there almost made him break down.

"I'm sorry, General," he said softly. "I wanted to wring Jackson's neck. I suppose I'm still a little sorry that I didn't."

Shaw chuckled. "I admire your restraint, Commander. Perhaps I should tell you up front that I do not agree with his recommendation for your wife."

Straker looked at him in surprise. "You don't?"

"No, I don't. This will be hard news for the colonel to take, Commander. No one doubts that. But she is a very brave and courageous woman, and I believe that with your support, she will be able to weather this crisis. Does she have your support, Commander?"

"Always," he said through the sudden lump in his throat.

"Then I will leave that to you. Will you tell me your plans concerning the Thoelian cell?"

Straker ran a weary hand over his eyes. "Tam went with Mia to see if their leader will come to the studio and speak to me. I should know fairly soon what he decides. From there, I hope to be able to set up a treaty with them, allowing them to relocate wherever they like in return for their assistance in helping us understand the people they came from."

"Do you think they will ever trust us enough to sign a treaty, Commander?"

"I'll do what I can to make sure of that, General."

"You have a strategy?"

Straker's smile was grim. "I have better than that. I have an ace up my sleeve."

The Lord Mayor of Traya was a tall man, with broad shoulders and dark hair that passed his shoulders to continue down his back. Coupled with a sharp little beard, his features might have been fierce. But he had a brilliant and kind face.

Straker met him in the park, where a table and chairs had been set out for them under the canopy of trees. It was the only place in the entire studio where he could be assured of being uninterrupted. And he would not meet the Thoelian leader for the first time in SHADO. That would be asking too much of the Lord Mayor's trust. A neutral place was best.

And the park was peaceful.

After Tam and Mia were dismissed, the two leaders sat down at the table. Straker poured tea for the mayor, a blend of earl grey that Madeline had once almost convinced him of liking more than coffee.

"We are deeply honored that you would come here today, Lord Mayor."

Sheybal met those blue eyes squarely. "We were intrigued by your invitation, so graciously worded, Commander. We are alone here?"

"As you see," confirmed Straker calmly. "There is only Miss Evans, who guards the entrance to the park for us. We won't be disturbed."

Sheybal looked back at the young woman who stood so silently near the treeline. She seemed too young to be a guardian. "She is a soldier?" he asked doubtfully.

Straker thought of the battles that the studio secretaries fought and won each day and said, "One of my best."

The mayor tried the tea and nodded his approval of its taste. Relaxing slightly in his chair, he said, "Mia tells me your organisation rescued her last night and killed those who would have harmed her."

"Yes. One of our medics saw her car on the side of the road and went to help. When she refused to be taken to a hospital, he took her to her home and cared for her until morning. Then he brought her to me."

"And her attackers?"

"I believe that she was able to kill one of them. The other one died when we shot down his ship."

Sheybal was silent for a time, drinking the tea. Then he said, "You did not prevent the attack?"

Straker sighed into his tea. "I wish we could have, Lord Mayor. Our planetary radar has been developed to the point where they can no longer come to Earth without us knowing it. And our defenses are good. But there have been recent incidents that have made us realize that a few of their ships were stranded here when our grid went up. We have found them eventually, but not always before they were able to do some damage."

"Mia tells me that they have been hunting your people."

"Yes. They use our organs for replacement parts to keep themselves alive."

Sheybal closed his eyes on a shudder. "Then we ask your forgiveness, Commander. For if our fathers had not utterly destroyed their genetic laboratories when they escaped, your people might have been spared such horrors."

"It is doubtful that we would have been spared for long, Lord Mayor. Their cruelty would always demand a victim."

"Well said." The mayor put down his empty cup and looked into those blue eyes. "How may we assist you, Commander? You seem to have no need of our talents in repelling our common enemy."

"On the contrary, Lord Mayor," Straker said smoothly. "Information is vital to understanding and effectively defending Earth from their cruelties. You can tell us so much about their culture, history, and aspirations that will enable us to keep their plans for conquest from succeeding."

"I can tell you much of their culture, Commander, and of their history, for we share that. But their aspirations have become so vastly inhumane that it is difficult to even conceive them, let alone discuss them."

"I understand. Any help you give us would be greatly appreciated. And how may we help you, Lord Mayor?"

Sheybal looked at him in surprise. "You? Help us? I do not understand."

"Come, Lord Mayor," the commander said. "You are offering us your assistance, and we are grateful. Surely there is something that SHADO may do for you?"

"We wish to live in peace, Commander," the Lord Mayor said. "We wish to raise our families in safety."

"A noble wish, and I commend you for it. I understood from Mia that some of you wish to leave the settlement and dwell in the outside world. But you are concerned about being hunted. I cannot at present guarantee that we have stopped their incursions on Earth completely, but that time is at last in the foreseeable future. And on that day, Lord Mayor, we would welcome your people among our own. We have ways of assisting them to adapt easily into neighboring villages and counties. And those wishing to remain in the enclave may, of course, do so with our blessing."

He leaned forward. "All we ask in return is that you stay in communication with us and alert us to any problems that may arise within your community."

The Lord Mayor was silent for a long time. Finally he said, "You would do this for us?"

Straker spread his hands. "We have done the same for many races who have decided to live on Earth. You are one of many, Lord Mayor."

Sheybal said, "But none of those others have borne the name of your sworn enemy."

"Perhaps not," the commander agreed. "But what's in a name, after all?"

Sheybal smiled suddenly and relaxed in his chair. "I have often thought on that very subject, Commander."

Straker poured more tea for them both and said, "I would love to hear your thoughts, Lord Mayor."

When he entered the bedroom, she was at the vanity brushing her hair.

She met his eyes in the mirror and said, "Long day?"

_God, yes_, he thought. _And it's not over yet_. "Don't get up," he told her. "Let me do that." He took the brush from her hand and soothed them both by brushing her hair.

After a while she said, "Gay told me what you're doing."

His heart stopped. Did Gay know? Had the news already spread that rapidly? "Oh?" he asked cautiously.

Sheila nodded. "I think it's wonderful, Ed. In reality, they've been victims just like the rest of us. We can't condemn them by race alone."

He sighed. Maybe they'd get through this, after all. "I agree."

"What's he like?"

"Sheybal?" He shrugged. "A strong leader. I think he could be moved to violence to protect his settlement, but he isn't violent by nature. He's a deep and careful thinker."

She grinned. "You two must have got on famously."

He gave her a wry smile. "We did."

"And Mia? What is she like? Is it true that Tam likes her?"

He sighed again. "Yes, I think so. He seems very taken with her."

"But you're concerned."

"Not about her. Not really. They aren't a violent people, Sheila. It seems strange to be saying that about Thoelians, but they really aren't."

"Then what are you worried about?" she asked.

She knew him too well. He put down the brush and came around to kneel at her feet, taking her hands in his. "It will be an adjustment for the organisation, Sheila. Surely that's obvious."

"Yes. But they'll follow your lead, Ed. They always do. And if you accept the Thoelians, then everyone else will, too."

"Sheybal has invited me to visit their settlement."

He kept his eyes down, playing with her fingers, and she frowned at his bent head.

"Are you worried about a trap?"

"No." He swallowed a constriction in his throat and said, "You're invited, as well."

"Oh." She thought she understood his concern now. "That was considerate of him. But surely you don't need me to go with you, Ed. I don't know how well I'd do in a crowd of them, even nonviolent ones. I wouldn't want to jeopardize the treaty by overreacting or something. Take Alec."

"Sheila." He hesitated, then continued, "He asked for you particularly."

"Why would he do that? Oh, Ed. Did you tell him that I killed Ming?"

"Yes. But that's not it." He raised his eyes to meet hers. "Sheila, Mia has a bracelet like the one you used to wear."

She frowned. "The one Ming took from me?"

"Yes." He swallowed. "All her people wear them."

She tried to draw her hands away, but he held on. "That's . . . My father gave me that bracelet that day in the car. He always let me play with it."

"I know. Sheila, your father . . ."

"No!" Suddenly she stood up and moved over to the window. "You're wrong. He must have found it somewhere."

She had her arms crossed defensively, as if to ward off a blow. And it took all his strength to continue.

"Sheila, Mia heals as quickly as you do. All her people do. It was the genetic testing. They were altered. Your father's parents were altered, Sheila. That's why you heal like that."

She raised tear-drenched eyes. "Don't! Ed!"

He moved closer and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Garret Austin came from their settlement. Mia told me his name, Sheila, without any prompting from me. His family has been afraid for him all these years. They knew something must have happened when he didn't return."

She was shaking her head as if trying to shut him out.

He put both hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. "They want to meet you. They want to meet Garret's daughter."

Suddenly she tore from his arms and ran into the adjoining bathroom. Heartsick, he followed her and bathed her face with a warm cloth when she was violently ill. She was shuddering uncontrollably, but when she would have curled herself onto the tiles, he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. He laid her gently onto the bed and held her.

"I love you," he said.

She gave a great shudder and finally looked at him. "How can you? How can you bear to look at me? Touch me? Oh, God . . . !"

"Do you think I care?" he asked fiercely. "Dammit, Sheila! I don't care if you're _Ming's_ daughter! Just because he was a monster doesn't mean you are. Being Thoelian doesn't make you like him. You said yourself that we can't judge them by their race."

She shook her head wearily, too drained to argue. "It's different."

He stroked her hair. "It isn't."

She turned to him incredulously. "You're the Commander! God, Ed! When I think of how hard I've tried to live down the fact that I was there, captive for all that time! I've tried so hard to be the kind of wife who people would think of as an asset to SHADO, instead of a noose around your neck."

"Sheila. No one thinks of you that way."

"And now this," she persisted. "Tell me I'm an asset now, Ed. A Thoelian infiltrated right into the middle of SHADO. Married to its chief. _Tell_ _me!_"

"You are."

"Oh, God!" she said brokenly. "You don't want to see it. You _won't _see it! But others will, Ed. You won't be able to ignore this for long."

His lips thinned. "I'm not deluding myself, Sheila. Listen to me. We're an organisation whose sole purpose all these years has been to kill Thoelians. How easy do you think it was for Sheybal to come today? How easy could it have been for him — for any of them — to trust us?"

She frowned. "He obviously decided to risk it."

"Yes. And do you know why?"

"No."

He met her eyes grimly. "Because I am married to one of their people. That's why. They trust me because of you. And when the treaty is signed, no amount of diplomacy will matter in the least compared to that one fact. There would never have been a treaty at all if my wife hadn't been one of their own."

She didn't know what to say and just stared at him wordlessly.

His gaze softened, and his hand reached out to stroke her wet cheek. "Don't talk to me of assets, Sheila. You're the greatest asset I've got."

She went into his arms with a sob, and he held her close as she cried it out. When she finally fell asleep, he pulled the quilt over them and kissed her dark hair.

"I love you," he whispered and finally closed his eyes.

**ACT V**

"It doesn't look like a thriving community lives here, does it?"

She stared through the windshield at the desolate landscape in and around the ancient structure of stones. "The town that never was," she murmured.

Straker ran a hand down her dark hair. "You okay?"

She turned to face him. ""Yes. At least . . . I'm trying to be. What I'd really like is to wake up and find that this was all some twisted nightmare. But I don't think I'll be that fortunate."

"They're not monsters, Sheila. You need to believe that. I would never expose you to anything like that."

She touched his face. "I know. My fierce protector." Then she looked back at Stonehenge, silhouetted against its backdrop of barren land and overcast skies. "It's just . . . difficult."

"I was told that the village itself is beautiful," he said.

She grinned at him. "Okay. I'll be good. I need to look on it as an adventure. Right?"

"I don't know, Sheila," he said cautiously. "Your adventures tend to be a little wild."

When he heard her gurgle of laughter, his heart lightened considerably.

She pouted. "I told you I'd be good."

He kissed her firmly. "I'm going to hold you to that." He saw a red light flash out of the corner of his eye. When he looked, there was a man standing in the midst of the trilithons.

"And here's our escort. Shall we?"

She kissed him deeply, drawing on his strength. "Okay. I'm ready."

They got out of the car and approached the stones.

The whole displacement thing was a little strange. Straker hadn't considered how it would feel to be transferred suddenly from one dimension to another. He couldn't say that he'd recommend it for a daily practice. It left him feeling odd and disoriented.

They approached the village from a hilltop and could see it glimmering in the sunlight. He looked up. Yes, there was a sun and a very blue sky. Definitely not England in September. He wondered if they were even technically on Earth anymore, but hesitated to ask.

They crossed a stone bridge over a stream and came into the village square. Sheila stopped dead, staring at the buildings in wonder. They were made of a rose quartz that reflected the sunlight warmly.

Straker murmured to her, "Notice that there are no seams, no mortar lines, no signs of joining even at the corners."

She nodded. "As if they were carved all in one piece. We can't even begin to approach that kind of technology."

"And out of rose quartz, especially," he agreed.

"Perhaps they reinforced it somehow."

"Or perhaps it isn't quartz at all."

"Ed," she said after a moment. "What race would have built such structures?"

"Sheybal said that they never found any trace of them. The buildings were empty; no furniture, no artifacts. Nothing to give them a clue about the former occupants."

"What if they come back?"

His smile was grim. "Now _that_ is a question to ponder, isn't it?"

The inside of the Lord Mayor's house was worlds different from the outside. Here they saw wooden floors, tapestries, and beautifully crafted furniture. Their guide ushered them into a study and left them there, saying that the mayor would be right with them.

Straker wasn't able to take in many details of the room beyond its two main couches and richly carpeted floor. There was a large painting over the fireplace mantle that dominated the room and drew his eye.

Sheila was staring closely at it.

The painting was of a large man, dark featured, richly dressed, with long dark hair and a full beard. He reminded Straker of Sheybal, because his face was strong, yet full of dignity.

"Dorn, Son of Gozer," Sheila murmured, reading the small plaque beneath the painting.

"Dorn is the man who rescued them from the Thoelian laboratories," her husband said. "Sheybal told me that Dorn and Ming were twins."

"Really?" Sheila looked at him in surprise. She looked back at the eyes of the man in the painting. They were dark and intense. And full of grief. "You'd never know it. They look nothing alike."

"Actually," spoke a voice from the doorway. "They were identical twins."

They turned and saw the Lord Mayor.

Sheila braced herself at the sight of him, but almost immediately relaxed again. Her husband thought perhaps that she had seen what he had in Sheybal's face: intelligence and kindness.

Straker brought her forward to shake hands, and Sheybal invited them to be seated on the comfortable couches. A young woman entered with hot drinks for them.

The Lord Mayor said, "I cannot offer you that wonderful tea we drank in the park the other day, Commander. But we grow a bean here that makes a beverage we call _ghetal_ that is quite delicious."

Sheila smiled as she tried it. "We have something similar, Lord Mayor. We call it cocoa."

Her husband said, "Sheila's favorite drink."

"Truly? Then we are honored." He sat forward and gestured to the painting over the mantle. "You were admiring my father's portrait."

"Will it be possible to meet him?" Sheila asked.

"No," replied the mayor. "He has been gone these twenty-one years. This painting was done in secret not long after we came here to Traya. My mother had it done and kept it stored away without my father's knowledge. I had it framed and hung it here on the first anniversary of his death."

"Your father disliked having his portrait done?" Straker asked.

The mayor put down his cup with a sigh. "My father refused to even allow mirrors in the house. He could not bear to see his reflection, even in a pool of water."

"But why?" Sheila asked softly. "He does not resemble Ming."

"As children running around the palace on Thoel, they were indeed identical, and no one could tell them apart. But I am told by the few who remain from those who came here with my father that no one could mistake the brothers as adults."

Sheila glanced back at the painting. "It must have been like looking at good and evil versions of the same face."

"Yes, I have often thought so. Many times I have tried to envision my father's face with a cruel look or with hatred glaring out of those eyes. But I have been unable to do so. My father was too dynamic a personality for me to forget his facial expressions and replace them with something so foreign to his nature."

"Then he must have realized that he and Ming no longer looked alike," Sheila said.

He shook his head sadly. "To my father, they remained identical always. And he could not bear to see his brother's face everywhere he looked."

"Did he hate his brother so much?" Straker asked.

Sheila laid a hand over his on the couch. "No." She looked at the mayor. "He loved him so much."

"Yes," the Lord Mayor agreed quietly. "He never got over the betrayal, never fully accepted Ming's unreasoning hatred of him, even until his death. He knew it was so, but his heart would not accept it."

"Was it Ming who put him in that prison?" Sheila asked.

"Yes. Their father was grooming Ming to succeed him on the throne. But the people loved Dorn, and Ming was afraid that his father might think him the better leader. So he framed him for an assassination attempt on the king and had him imprisoned."

"And did genetic testing on his own brother."

He sighed. "I have been told by those who suffered at his hands that there was nothing he was not capable of doing. The commander tells me that you met him. What is your verdict?"

She met his eyes squarely. "I don't think he would have stopped at anything in his lust for power."

"Yet you managed to stop him."

"Yes."

"How?"

Her smile was fierce. "All it required was enough determination. And a sharp knife."

"Sheila," Straker murmured, covering her hand with his.

She looked at him, and her expression softened. "My husband does not like me to speak of it, Lord Mayor."

"I understand," the mayor said. "And I apologize for bringing the subject up."

Sheila asked, "Did you know that Ming left Thoel?"

"No, we did not," he answered. "Not until the commander told me that Thoel had been abandoned for a planet nearer to Earth."

"Yes. Tuatara."

He shook his head gravely. "Ming would not have left Thoel in one piece. I fear that our homeworld lies in ruins."

Straker looked at the mayor. "Did you plan to return?"

"No," he sighed. "We could never go back to what we left there. Most would never even consider asking about it. It just pains me to think of such destruction."

He was silent a moment. Then he said, "So much could have been different with a better leader."

And they knew he was thinking of his father.

Sheila said softly, "Do you blame me for killing Ming?"

"Actually," he said with a sigh. "We are extremely grateful. My father would have mourned, but the people of Traya will not. We would honor you with a ceremony, if you will permit it. And a medal to commemorate your bravery."

She shook her head. "I don't want a medal, Lord Mayor, or a ceremony. What I did, I did for my unborn son. And for myself. I didn't do it for anyone else and deserve no honor as if I did."

"Very well. Nonetheless, please accept Traya's gratitude."

She cocked her head to the side. "You feared that he would come here."

"All my life," he said. "My mother was especially fearful of it. You see, my father would have welcomed him with open arms."

"And put the village in his hands?" Straker asked incredulously.

"No. He would never have divulged the location of the settlement. But he would have sacrificed himself to see his brother again."

The study was silent for a long moment.

Then the Lord Mayor said, "Col. Straker, what do you wish me to tell your father's family about your encounter with Ming? I fear that if they know the truth, they will insist on a celebration in your honor."

"Then don't tell them," she said.

"Any of it?" he asked.

"Any of it," she agreed.

He pondered that silently, but finally shook his head and said, "Very well."

"Will that be a problem?" she asked.

"No," he said with a gesture. "But there is one who will know anyway, and I cannot guarantee her silence."

"Who is she?" Straker asked.

"Her name is Quinda Austin. She is Garret's mother and your grandmother, Colonel. But here we just call her Granya."

Sheila shook her head at her husband's inquiring look. "I never met her, Lord Mayor. How could she know what happened to me on another planet?"

He spread his hands. "I cannot say. I only know this. She will know."

"And she'll tell?"

He spread his hands again. "I do not know. She is the oldest person in our village, Colonel, and one of the few still living from those my father rescued. We venerate her and listen to her counsel. But no one can predict what she will say."

Unexpectedly, Sheila grinned. ""She sounds wonderful, Lord Mayor. When can I meet her?"

As they neared the Austin family home, a young boy ran out to greet them. Straker stopped short at the sight of him, and Sheila made a sharp sound and dropped to her knees. He had only seen that face in a charcoal drawing, but he recognized it instantly. Eddie.

The boy raced up to them and spoke quickly and excitedly to Sheila. She didn't answer, but she touched his face in wonder.

The Lord Mayor spoke sharply to him. "Damon! In English."

The boy nodded and took a deep breath. He smiled dazzlingly at Sheila and said, "You are my niece, and I am your cousin, Damon. Granya said you would come. You are just as pretty as she told me." He looked up at Straker. "And you brought the man with eyes like the sky. We've been waiting for you. Come on!"

He grabbed her hand and led her into the house.

Straker lifted a brow at the Lord Mayor as he followed them. "His niece?"

Sheybal grinned. "He's a little mixed up, I think. His mother is Nayrina, and her mother is Kalia, one of Garret's older sisters. They are all here, I believe."

"How large is this family?" the commander asked.

The mayor shrugged. "Granya has seven children, forty-six grandchildren, and too many great grandchildren to count."

Straker looked around the crowded room they had entered. People were lining the walls, sitting on chairs, and some were even sitting on the floor. "I believe it," he said.

Damon led Sheila up to an ancient and tiny woman sitting on a plush chair near the center of the room. She was so small that her feet dangled in the air.

"Granya, see? She has come. Just like you said."

The old woman patted his hand. "Yes, she is here at last."

She looked up at Sheila, and her eyes were nearly filmed over with age. But they filled with tears as she gazed at her, and she said, "The daughter of my Garret. You have finally come home to meet your granya."

Sheila's throat nearly closed up, but she said as she took the withered hand offered to her, "Yes, I have come. It is an honor to meet you, Granya."

The old woman held her hand and nodded, as if accepting the honor. But her eyes never left Sheila's face. "It has been a long and difficult road back to us," she said finally.

Sheila swallowed and nodded, trying to see through her own tears to meet that gaze. "Yes."

"We are grateful," was all the old woman said, but her expression said so much more.

Sheila bit her lip and shook her head, but could not answer.

Granya looked at Damon, whose hand Sheila was still clasping. Then she turned back to Sheila. "I have a gift for you, daughter of my favorite son."

Sheila felt a connection with this elderly woman that was impossible to deny. "It is gift enough to meet you, Granya," she whispered.

When the old woman grinned, her wrinkled face became even more heavily lined. "But this is better," she insisted. "I give you my Damon, who makes me laugh."

Sheila met her eyes in surprise. She noticed at the back of the room that a young woman had begun weeping quietly. Damon's mother? She looked down at the young boy whose hand she held. He was grinning at her, looking so much like Eddie that she wanted to grab him up and never let go. And she realized that Granya knew that. And was trying to give her Eddie back.

She sank to the floor and released Damon's hand to take both of her grandmother's hands in hers. "Thank you, Granya," she said. "This is a precious gift that you give me. But I cannot deprive you of your laughter."

There were several gasps throughout the room. Even the woman who'd been weeping was stunned into stillness. Had she offended her grandmother by refusing her gift?

Suddenly the old woman gave a sharp cackle. Her tiny body shook with it, and it was a moment before she could speak.

"Sass!" she gasped, her voice shaking with mirth. "Sass no one has dared speak to me in more years than you've been alive, girl!"

Then, unexpectedly, she patted Sheila's hand. "Promise me you will visit me often and sass at me again."

Sheila grinned in relief. "I promise."

Her grandmother gave her a shrewd look. "Who is that man with eyes like the sky who never takes them off you?"

"He's my husband." Sheila stood and held out a hand to him as he came over. "Granya, I'd like you to meet Ed Straker, my husband. Ed, this is my grandmother."

He shook her hand solemnly. But he had a twinkle at the back of his eyes.

Granya asked him, "Does she sass you?"

He smiled softly. "Often."

She cackled again, then patted Sheila's hand. "I like him. He's a pretty one. If I were even five years younger, I would make you fight to keep him."

Sheila said, "Then I'm glad you're not, because I don't think I'd stand a chance against you."

"Sheila, for God's sake!" her husband muttered.

But her grandmother slapped her hand and cackled so hard that she fell into a fit of coughing.

Straker brought her a bowl of the stew they were being served. An earnest young man got up from the window seat where he'd been sitting with her and blushingly excused himself. Straker lifted a brow and asked, "A conquest?"

Sheila grinned. "A cousin. He wanted to know everything I knew about the outside world."

"Oh. Is that all?"

She chuckled.

He looked over to where her grandmother sat with Damon on her lap. She was nodding and listening with a small smile to some story he was telling her.

"You handled that quite well, you know," he said.

She followed his gaze and sighed. "She knew."

He looked at her in surprise. "How?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. But she knew about Eddie. Probably about all of it. She was thanking me for killing Ming. I think she knew I wanted no medal. So she gave me something I _would_ want."

"Your son back."

"Yes."

"Were you concerned that I wouldn't want him?"

"No, Ed. I knew you would. But he isn't Eddie. He just looks like him. And his family would miss him."

He met her eyes. "I won't ask how hard it was to refuse her offer."

"Good."

"Is she psychic?"

She looked over at her grandmother. "She must be. She read me like a book."

He heard something in her voice that made him say, "Damon can visit us sometime, he and his family. Kathy and Andy could show him lots of ways to get into trouble."

She took his hand and squeezed it. "I love you very much."

He squeezed back and gave her a wicked grin. "Enough to fight for me?"

She was silent for several miles on the way home. It didn't worry him too much, because he could tell that she wasn't brooding. She was merely thinking deeply.

"Penny for them?" he asked softly.

"What?" She turned to look at him.

"Your thoughts," he explained. "Are they for sale?"

She sighed. "They weren't at all what I was expecting."

"I imagine not. You liked them?"

"Very much. It's so weird. I've been alone most of my life, Ed. Yet I felt like I fit right in with them."

"Well, they seemed to like you, too," he said.

"I couldn't shake the feeling that my father was there."

He lifted a brow. "Ghosts?"

She shook her head. "No, it wasn't anything like that. It was weird. I've been trying to figure it out."

"What was it that made you think of him?"

She ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know. Maybe it was the way one of my uncles laughed. Or the way my cousin played with the copper bracelet on his wrist constantly. There were just so many mannerisms that reminded me of him."

"Those bracelets aren't copper."

She frowned. "They aren't?"

He shook his head. "The Lord Mayor told me that they were the shackles from their prison. They're made of a metal alloy from Thoel."

"And yet they opened the enclave here on Earth," she murmured. "That's weird."

He thought about it for a few miles. "Unless something in their composition acts as a trigger for a mechanical device that opens and closes the enclave."

Suddenly she interrupted him. "Ed! The bracelets! They were from the prison?"

"Yes. Why?"

"What if the alloy acted as a tracking device to enable Ming to know where they were at all times? He would be paranoid enough to do something like that, especially to Dorn."

He frowned. "You're thinking about the attack on your parents."

"Yes. And Mia. And the endless attacks on me over the years. Don't you see, Ed? I wore that bracelet always. It was all I had of my father."

"And you haven't had it since your return to Earth," he said. "So they couldn't find you. I've wondered why they've left you alone."

"There was that one time with Paul," she said.

He shook his head. "You were both in his car. He could have easily been the target. I've been attacked more than once while in my car."

She gasped. "But, Ed! They would have been able to find you at home then, when you parked the car for the night."

"I don't think so, Sheila. I've wondered before if they somehow could track us by the way our car engines revved. Every engine has its own signature. If they knew my signature, it would explain the attacks I had while driving. Up until Laura Simmons died. Shrapnel had damaged the front of the car, and they had to replace the engine. I haven't had a problem since."

"It makes sense," she said. "Except for the Solarians. They were attacked at home, Ed. How did they track them?"

He smiled grimly. "You've seen Michael and Gay's home, Sheila. S'poc and S'lar's homes are the same. Solarians love their gadgetry. Can you doubt that the survey team kept some of their trinkets from their ship to use in their homes?"

"And they were tracked through them," she said. "We have to warn them."

"Yes. I think so," he agreed. "And the people of Traya, as well. Those who leave the settlement may have to accept that they won't be able to return. They'd need to leave their bracelets behind."

"I think you're right, Ed," she said quietly. "About all of it."

He cocked a brow at her.

"Only one adult besides us in that entire house today wasn't wearing a bracelet."

His eyes widened. "Your grandmother."

"She knows, Ed. She knows how dangerous those bracelets are outside the enclave. I'll bet if my father were here, he would tell me that she tried to get him to leave it behind when he left."

"He wouldn't have listened to her?"

She sighed. "He was young, Ed. He didn't take life very seriously. I remember his laugh more than anything else about him. I'm sure he thought she was just being overcautious. I do know that he would never have let me play with it if he thought it would put me in danger."

"I need to speak to Sheybal about it," he said. "I'll be seeing him next week. I'll tell him then."

"Mia and her uncle will need to be warned, too," she said. "Do you think it might be possible to establish some sort of communication link with those in the enclave? That way, travel in and out would still be feasible without wearing the bracelets."

He grimaced. "Sure, Sheila. Establish a link with another dimension, one that could in reality be clear across the galaxy. Or in another universe altogether!"

She grinned at his sarcasm. "Well, I don't know much about other dimensions and how to communicate with them. But I know someone who might know."

He groaned. "Edith Williams. Sheila, you're a menace!"

She laughed. "You don't have to tell her why you need to know, Ed."

"Oh, sure," he said in disgust. "That'll happen."

**EPILOGUE**

He watched her from the patio doors as she sat in the garden. She was staring out over the flowers as if she didn't see them and unconsciously rubbing her belly.

His lips thinned. She was brooding.

He knew now what his mom had meant about Sheila needing him soon. He shuddered to think how she'd have handled all this without him. He'd done his best to keep her occupied these past weeks. She'd been to see her grandmother twice and seemed to be reconciled to some degree to her heritage. But he knew the wounds from Ming went deep.

She hadn't said anything, but he thought he knew her well enough to know what she was brooding about. He didn't think that she would want to have more children after Lily was born. It hurt him that she still questioned her humanity. And by extension, the humanity of their children. But he could not find it in him to ask her to bear another child. He understood too well what it could cost her.

So Lily would probably be their last. He figured he might have to learn to accept that. It wasn't as if he hadn't been incredibly blessed already. Certainly far more than he deserved. He had a son who had been returned to him from death and who had turned out much better than he could have hoped. He had another son who he had never met who had loved him without reservation. And he had three wild children — four, counting Lily — who he was free to shower his love on. What more could any man ask?

Well, maybe a better name than Lilith _Jolena_. But there was still time to try to convince her of something else.

He opened the patio door and went out into the garden.

He sat down next to her on the garden seat under the wild roses. He didn't say anything, unwilling to interrupt her thoughts.

Unsure if he wanted to know them.

After a long while, she said, "I sometimes wonder if Laura might have been a better wife for you."

"I've thought about it, too."

She looked at him in surprise. She had expected him to deny it. "And what did you conclude?"

He shrugged. "I would have missed you."

She shook her head. "But we wouldn't have married, Ed. You wouldn't have these memories."

"It doesn't matter, Sheila. I would still have missed you. Even if you never returned, if I never saw you again after your capture, the outcome was set. I missed you from the day you were captured. From the moment I knew that nothing I did could save you from them. Even marriage to Laura wouldn't have made me stop missing you."

"You don't know that. You're just saying it to make me feel better."

"I do know it," he insisted. "And my father confirmed it."

"Your father?"

"Yes. He still misses my mother. Not Kathy. Lenore. He told me he has missed her every day." He turned to her. "_Every day_, Sheila. Even while married to Mom. Was he happy with Mom? Yes. Did he love her so much that her death devastated him? Yes. But he still missed Lenore. That's how it is with a mate. They're a part of you, all the way down to the soul. Life can never be the same without them."

She ran a hand through his hair. "Laura would have given you a lot less problems."

He hid a smile and shifted in the seat to lay his head on her lap. "Don't I know it."

She poked his ribs, but refused to smile. "She was more like you."

"I know," he agreed. "But she didn't have enough sass. I've come to realize that I need sass in my life to make me truly happy."

Her smile broke through. "Sass!" she mimicked in a fair imitation of Granya.

He touched her cheek and became abruptly serious. "The moment I saw you in the Medlab on Moonbase, I knew my father had spoken the truth. Soulmates were a reality, and I had made a real mess of my life by doubting it. I felt so stupid, as if I should have realized that you were out there all along, waiting to meet me."

Her eyes blurred. "I was."

"I never asked before. Were you very angry with me for not waiting to meet you?"

"I was furious. You wouldn't believe the names I called you," she said.

"I'm glad I didn't stay on Moonbase then. Those walls are a bit thin."

"Coward."

He grinned. "Shrew."

She was so surprised that she burst out laughing.

And his heart lightened immeasurably.

She stroked his white blonde hair for a long time, watching the flowers bob in the afternoon breeze.

Finally she gave a deep sigh. "So many times I've felt that I don't deserve you."

"You don't," he said.

She frowned at him. "Oh?"

"You deserve a much better man than me, Sheila," he said and drew her into his arms. "And if you ever meet him, I'll bury him under the tea roses."

"You're so bad," she scolded. "Big bad Straker."

He gave her a wicked grin. "Let me show you how bad I can be."

She laughed and slipped from his arms. "Promises, promises," she taunted as she ran from the garden into the trees.

He jumped up and went after her.

The children at the nursery window turned to look at their governess. "Daddy and Mommy are playing tag again, Elodie. Can we go down and play with them?"

She tried to keep a straight face. "Um, not right now. Maybe we can go out and join them in a little while."

Kathy frowned, mistrusting such vagueness. "How long is that?"

That's a good question, Elodie thought. "Maybe in an hour or so."

"An hour?" Andy said, pouting. "But that's forever!"

When she brought the children outside an hour later, the commander and his wife were just emerging from the trees and met them with laughter.

Elodie left the family playing in the garden. She returned upstairs with a smile, pleased that she had guessed the timing so well.

_Forever_ seemed to be just long enough.


End file.
